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CNET Editors' Rating

The GoodThe Philips Room to Room Docking Speaker (DS3205) is a compact, stylish speaker dock for Lightning-based iPhones and iPods. It delivers good sound for its small size and has a battery-powered option.

The BadYou'll have to remove everything but the slimmest cases in order to dock your device; no USB port for charging other devices; can't play sound through auxiliary input when you have an iPhone or iPod docked.

The Bottom LineWhile it does have a couple of shortcomings, the Philips Room to Room Docking Speaker (DS3205) is an attractive little iPhone 5 speaker dock that sounds good for its size.

6.5 Overall

Design7.0

Features6.0

Sound quality7.0

Value6.0

Review Sections

Now that Apple has transitioned its new iPhone, iPods, and iPads to the smaller Lightning port that's incompatible with all of the old 30-pin accessories without a pricey adapter, Lightning-enabled accessories are finally appearing on the market.

As of early 2013, Philips has three different Lightning speaker docks to choose from, with the $130 "room-to-room" DS3205 (reviewed here) sitting between the more compact $100 DS1155 and the $150 DS7580, which more closely resembles a tabletop speaker. Both the DS3205 reviewed here and the DS7580 can run on battery power for mobile use. However, the latter model has a built-in rechargeable battery.

I liked the DS3205. While its design isn't quite as sleek as that of the nightstand-friendly DS1155, it sounds better, offering more bass, detail, and overall volume. My only issues with it are that it's missing the USB port found on its older 30-pin counterpart, the Fidelio DS3000, and you can't play sound through the auxiliary port if you have a device sitting in the dock.

The DS3205 delivers more bass and detail than its little brother, the DS1155.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Design and features
As I hinted, this isn't really a new speaker, for Philips has been selling a 30-pin-connector version (the Fidelio DS3000) of the same unit since 2011. What's new is the Lightning connector.

The unit has an attractive design -- it sort of looks like an egg split in half, tilted at an angle with the yolk eaten out of the center. There's a power button on top and there are volume controls on the front of the speaker underneath the dock. Alas, no remote is included.

The speaker from behind.
Sarah Tew/CNET

The unit has a couple of notable extra features. Along with the usual AC adapter option, you can run the unit off a set of four AA batteries, which power the speaker for up to 8 hours (that's pretty good).

The design of the Lightning connector seems decent enough. The docking post tilts, but it's spring-loaded, so your device is automatically pushed back against a rubber pad that's embedded in the speaker. Since the Lightning connector is smaller than the 30-pin connector and seems less durable, some people may find it more finicky to deal with; it's easier for your device to come off the Lightning post. As with most of these Lightning-based docks, you'll likely have to remove all but the thinnest cases in order to dock your device.

Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable e-reader and e-publishing expert. He's also the author of the novels Knife Music and The Big Exit. Both titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, and Nook e-books.
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